Speed-related accidents cause thousands of deaths each year in the United States. When a car is speeding, the driver can easily lose control, which can lead to a serious car accident. A report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) titled, Analysis of Speeding-Related Fatal Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes, gives an overview of important facts and statistics linked to speed-related crashes in the United States. The report contains valuable information that can be used to help prevent accidents caused by speeding.
Car crashes are generally caused by a variety of factors, such as driver behavior, vehicle design, road conditions and environmental-related factors. When driver behavior is a contributing cause to a car accident, it usually means that impaired driving, aggressive driving, speeding or distracted driving was involved.
NHTSA researchers found that auto accidents caused by a driver who was exceeding the legal speed limit or driving too fast for conditions, costs billions of dollars annually. Every year, almost one-third of motor vehicle fatalities are speed-related.
The NHTSA report examines crash data and goes into detail regarding the impact of speed on car accidents. Some of the key findings of the study are summarized below:
- About 40 percent of speeding-related fatal crashes happened when the driver was negotiating a curve.
- Driver impairment has been linked with speeding and fatal crashes. Approximately 41 percent of drivers who were intoxicated (BAC = 0.08+) were also driving too fast.
- A large percentage of fatal accidents involving speeding occurred on rural roadways.
- The western states of the U.S. have a higher percentage of speeding-related fatalities than the eastern states.
- Male drivers are more likely to be involved in fatal crashes caused by speeding than female drivers of all ages.
- More drivers speed at night than during the day.
Another interesting fact notated in the report had to do with the abolishment of the National Maximum Speed Limit in December 1995. According to researchers, after the National Maximum Speed Limit was abolished, the number of speeding-related fatalities has gradually gone up on roads with speed limits of 65 mph or higher, while the number of fatalities on roads with a speed limit under 50 mph has remained stable.
If you or one of your family members have been injured or died due to a speeding driver, contact the offices of David M. Benenfeld for legal representation.
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